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大学生英文毕业总结faculty,family,friends,andfellowgraduates,goodevening.iamhonoredtoaddressyoutonight.onbehalfofthegraduatingmastersanddoctoralstudentsofwashingtonuniversity'sschoolofengineeringandappliedscience,iwouldliketothankalltheparents,spouses,families,andfriendswhoencouragedandsupportedusasweworkedtowardsourgraduatedegrees.iwouldespeciallyliketothankmyownfamily,eightmembersofwhichareintheaudiencetoday.iwouldalsoliketothankallofthedepartmentsecretariesandotherengineeringschoolstaffmemberswhoalwaysseemedtobetherewhenconfusedgraduatestudentsneededhelp.andfinallyiwouldliketothankthewashingtonuniversityfacultymemberswhoservedasourinstructors,mentors,andfriends.asithinkbackontheseven-and-a-halfyearsispentatwashingtonuniversity,mymindisfilledwithmemories,happy,sad,frustrating,andevenhumorous.tonightiwouldliketosharewithyousomeofthememoriesthatitakewithmeasileavewashingtonuniversity.itakewithmethememoryofmyofficeonthefourthflooroflopatahall-theroomattheendofthehallwaythatwastoohotinsummer,toocoldinwinter,andalwaystoofarawayfromthewomen'srestroom.thewindowwasmyoffice'sbestfeature.wereitnotforthephysicsbuildingacrosstheway,itwouldhaveaffordedmeaclearviewofthearch.butinsteadigotaviewoftheroofofthephysicsbuilding.ialsohadaviewofonecorneroftheroofofurbauerhall,whichseemedtobeafavoriteperchforvariousspeciesofbirdswhoalternatelywonperchingrightsforseveralweeksatatime.andihadaniceviewofthephysicscourtyard,noteworthyasagoodplaceforwatchingpeopleruntheirdogs.it'samazinghowfascinatingtheseviewsbecamethelongeriworkedonmydissertation.butmyfavoriteviewwasofanearbyoaktree.frommyfourth-floorvantagepointihadaratherintimateviewofthetreeandthevariousbirdsandsquirrelsthatinhabitit.occasionallyabirdwouldlandonmywindowsill,whichusuallyhadtheeffectofstartlingbothofus.itakewithmethememoryoftwoyoungprofessorswhopassedawaywhileiwasagraduatestudent.annejohnstone,theonlyfemaleprofessorfromwhomitookacourseintheengineeringschool,andbobdurr,apoliticalscienceprofessorandamemberofmydissertationcommittee,bothlostbravebattleswithcancer.irememberthemfondly.itakewithmethememoryoffailingthefirstexaminoneofthefirstengineeringcoursesitookasanundergraduate.irememberthinkingthecoursewasjusttoohardformeandthatiwouldneverbeabletopassit.soiwenttotalktotheprofessor,readytodroptheclass.andhetoldmenottogiveup,hetoldmeicouldsucceedinhisclass.forreasonsthatseemedcompletelyludicrousatthetime,hesaidhehadfaithinme.andafterthatmygradesintheclassslowlyimproved,andiendedthesemesterwithanaonthefinalexam.irememberhowmotivationalitwastoknowthatsomeonebelievedinme.itakewithmememoriesofthemidwesternfriendlinessthatsosurprisedmewheniarrivedinst.louis8yearsago.sincemovingtonewjersey,iamsadtosay,nobodyhasaskedmewhereiwenttohighschool.itakewithmethememoryoftheshort-livedcomputersciencegraduatestudentsocialcommitteelunches.theideawasthatgroupsofcsgradstudentsweresupposedtotaketurnscookingamonthlylunch.butafteronegradstudentpreparedapotofchickenthatpoisonedalmosttheentirecsgradstudentpopulationandoneunluckyfacultymemberinonefellswoop,therewasn'tmuchenthusiasmforhavingmorelunches.itakewithmethememoryofamoresuccessfulgraduatestudenteffort,theestablishmentoftheassociationofgraduateengineeringstudents,knownasages.startedbyahandfulofengineeringgraduatestudentsbecauseweneededawaytoelectrepresentativestoacampus-widegraduatestudentgovernment,agessoongrewintoanorganizationthatnowsponsorsawidevarietyofactivitiesandhasbeeninstrumentalinaddressinganumberofengineeringgraduatestudentconcerns.itakewithmethememoryofanengineeringandpolicydepartmentthatoncehadflourishingprogramsforfull-timeundergraduate,masters,anddoctoralstudents.itakewithmememoriesofthe1992u.s.presidentialdebate.eagertogetinvolvedinalltheexcitementivolunteeredtohelpwhereverneeded.irememberspendingseveraldaysinthemakeshiftdebatehqgivingout-of-townreportersdirectionstotheathleticcomplex.irememberbeingthrilledtogetassignedthejobofcollectingfilmfromthephotographersinthedebatehallduringthedebate.andirememberthedisappointmentofdrawingtheshorteststrawamongthestudentvolunteersandbeingtheonewhohadtotakethefilmoutofthedebatehallanddowntothedarkroomfiveminutesintothedebate-withnochancetore-enterthedebatehallafterileft.itakewithmememoriesofuniversityholidayswhichneverseemedtoapplytograduatestudents.irememberspendingmanyafallbreakandpresident'sdayholidaywithmyfellowgradstudentsinalldaymeetingsbroughttousbythecomputersciencedepartment.itakewithmememoriesofexamsthatseemeddesignedmoretotestenduranceandperseverancethanmasteryofthesubjectmatter.imanagedtoescapetakinganyclassesthatfeaturedinfamous24-hour-take-homeexams,butrememberthesufferingofmylessfortunatecolleagues.andwhatdoctoralstudentcouldforgetthepainandsufferingonemustenduretosurvivethequalifyingexams?itakewithmethememoryoftheseven-minuterule,whichalwaysseemedtobeanacceptableexcuseforbeingtenminuteslateforanythingoncampus,butwhichdoesn'tseemtoapplyanywhereelseigo.itakewithmethememoryoffridayafternoonacmhappyhours,knownnotforkegsofbeer,butratherbowlsofrainbowsherbetpunch.overtheseveralyearst